:: Stop your nonsense, human. I don't need anything from you. ::
'....' Hearing her words, I began to reconsider the most important thing she was lacking, the thing she herself didn't seem to want—a brain.
'Fine then, just leave without it.'
With that conclusion, I turned toward the lifeless body of Kyle lying on the floor. I knew well that he was dead, and most likely, the story that should have belonged to him had already ended. Yet, as I looked at his face—so similar to mine—a thought crossed my mind: 'Will his body decompose in the inventory?'
[ No, anything within the inventory remains the same as it was added (only non-living things). ]
'Store this body,' I ordered, knowing full well that in this world, there might come a time when I would need to switch bodies to fool someone into believing I was dead. This body, with my face, could prove useful. As I gave the command, Kyle's body disappeared, instantly thrown into my inventory. I did the same with the other dead bodies, just in case they might be needed in the future.
After all, even a small leaf can help keep you afloat in water.
:: Wash yourself; you stink too much. ::
'It's your own vomit, idiot,' I retorted, turning to leave the place. But first, I needed to get rid of this foul smell. As I made my way out of the narrow passage near the chamber, I approached a wooden door. Looking around, I noticed a golden statue—most likely a trigger, given how it stood out against the dark, wooden surroundings. The ghoul statue seemed like an anomaly in this setting. As I touched it, the chamber door slid open, revealing a blinding light that forced my eyes shut.
The light faded as my eyes adjusted, and I stepped outside. To my surprise, this wasn't some dungeon but a hidden chamber within a lavishly decorated room. Silk curtains, detailed walls, and a king-sized painting in the center made it clear that this was likely Kyle's bedroom.
So, this guy had kept his doppelganger in the basement connected to his room. It reminded me of how it was mentioned that the real child, from the beginning, had tortured and beaten his doppelganger, taking out his anger on him. Both of them had been trained under that old man.
Naturally, given Kyle's talent, he always excelled. But in subjects where he struggled and found his copy, Leon, surpassing him, he would beat Leon to vent his frustration, demanding that Leon act as weak as he was in those areas.
Not that it mattered now. Looking around, I swiftly began to remove my clothes. I had worn them in case I needed to exit the chamber in the middle of a town, but it turned out to be just a room. As I started to undress,
:: Again? Do you like this body that much? ::
'I want to take a bath,' I clarified, not bothering to go into detail. There was no reason to. As I removed my clothes, I caught sight of myself in a mirror—a man with black hair, eyes of crimson and gold, a well-built, muscular physique with hardly any fat. The meat between my legs was impossible to ignore, with even my thigh muscles clearly visible. For a moment, I understood why Leon was described as more physically attractive than Kyle.
It was a brief mention by the author, who had apparently used AI to enhance the chapters, but it was enough to give me a vivid image of Leon. For a moment, I even considered that this guy could have been the main hero of the story—until he died.
'Whatever, I need to wash this dick first,' I muttered, feeling anxious about its size. It was hard to ignore, and I noticed a purple liquid at its tip, clearly indicating poison. I quickly entered the bathroom.
'Thank God there's no woman here,' I thought as I stepped inside. The bathroom was small, with a warm water tub in the far corner and large pots filled with small grain balls nearby. It felt more like a training ground than a bathroom. Still, I moved toward the wooden bathtub and stepped in. The warmth was soothing, especially after the torture this body had endured.
:: Aren't I already sitting here, human?—Hhuuauahh!—Don't pour water on me! ::
'Shut up. You're not even human, let alone a woman,' I snapped at the mosquito hovering over my head, the source of the lingering smell. I began using a mug to pour water over my head, cleansing my body.
:: Hhhuahgg!—You trash—Glll—You're doing—uwwkkk—this intentionally, bastard—Hhhuuh! ::
Not wanting to hear her irritating voice, I kept pouring the water, genuinely not intending to hurt her. I just wanted to cleanse my body and mind from her incessant chatter.
[ +1 Partner Bond Point rewarded. ]
'....What?'
:: Eh? What? ::
[ Total Partner Bond Point: 1/100. Every 25% milestone will bestow a reward upon the Host. ]
'Shut up and tell me, how do I even have a bond—'
:: A bond with a mere human is a disgrace for me. Remove this thing, NOW! ::
'Tell me how to increase our bond, System,' I demanded, my anger rising. But seeing her furious, I decided to play along, hoping to annoy her further. Steeling myself, I asked.
[ Every moment where you create deep memories, your bonding will enhance. ]
'Deep? She most likely doesn't even care,' I thought. Being honest, as a green reaper, she had probably seen too much in her life. Someone like me, who had accidentally become entangled with her, was just a series of coincidences and drama. The system might consider it memory formation, but for her, it was likely just a random event she would soon forget.
:: Of course, I don't. Humans have these hollow memories, illusions where they live as if life is eternal, only to die one day—hhhhghhhgh!—hwuaa! ::
'Shut up, you're on my head,' I snapped, her voice ringing in my ears like a curse. It was unbearable, and I quickly silenced her, focusing on the bath as my hands slid down to my dick.
The main reason for the bath was to cleanse the poison from it. Taking the nearby soap, I began to rub it—painful, but not enough to kill me.
:: Stop masturbating, and who even wants to sit on your head! ::
'I'm cleaning it, you—'
[ Why not just fly away from him now that the dome is expanded? ]
:: Eh? ::
For a moment, I was confused. Suddenly, I heard her expanding her wings. A slight wind brushed against my head, and the sound of fluttering soon caused me to tilt my head. As I did, I found her elevating in the air with those bat-like wings of hers.
She began to levitate as soon as she distanced herself.
'Oh, so you don't need to be a crow all the time on my head.' I felt relieved, considering how she would most likely not be sticking to my skin while blabbering her nonsense in my ear. I was seeing this in an optimistic way, until she showed her true colors.
:: Finally! YOU FILTHY HUMAN! I AM FREE! ::
With those words, she directly dashed out of the bathroom while flailing her wings, snapping open the door.
'Did she just run away?', I kept looking towards the bathroom door for a moment before feeling a surge of peace as I relaxed my head back, having just finished cleaning the head of my dick, which was naturally erect to a good enough length—around twice my fist length.
Ignoring it, I finally had a relief moment, or at least I thought until another woman's scream reached my ears.
"Kyaaaah—a bat!"